Tumble

Chapter Seven

"There you are! " Hermione's voice woke him up from his trance.

"I've been looking for you." She added after catching up with her own breath.

"Obviously."

"Stop with your sarcastic tone, Draco.  You need to come with us to the meeting"

Silence. 

"But I'm not a leader here,  Granger.  I know my place." 

'Oh, you mean, you have no place here' Draco thought bitterly.

"I am a death eater.  You can't expect me to just thank you for what you did and try to help you overthrow you-know-who. I can't just proclaim myself a part of your team."

Hermione simply looked at him and answered, "You don't need to proclaim yourself as part of this team.  McGonagall did-"

"Which is only because you persuaded her. " Draco cut in.

"You were a death eater. Key word- were. So stop acting like a child and be mature for a few seconds.  You are not on Voldemort's side now,  you have nowhere else to go,  and you only have us."

Hermione's stare could've melted him already.  But he didn't.

"So let's go, they are waiting for us."

***

"Now,  Ms Cho Chang said that she was captured during the fight that happened in Hogwarts for more than a week now." McGonagall started.

"But,  unfortunately,  we all spend a lot of efforts just to save a poor little girl." Draco said which caused a lot of eyes to direct towards him.

"Excuse me,  Malfoy." Neville replied.

"But Ms Cho Chang could be our only way to determine where their bases are."

At that moment,  there was a hint of smile in Draco's lips.  It is unnoticeable of course,  but only if one doesn't look close enough.

"She can't know.  Prisoners are blinded and gagged when transferring from one place to another."

"I managed to get my blindfold out,  but I couldn't remember where it was. The place was just so familiar." Cho stated.

The smile is more evident on Draco's lips now but it looks more like a smirk rather than the former.

"You don't need to think too hard,  Ms Cho Chang. I know all the bases of You-Know-Who" Draco stated as a matter of fact.

Now,  all eyes seemed to focus on him.

It was a shock to him, actually.  After all,  he is-was the right-hand of Voldemort himself isn't he? And the Order has managed to think of saving the girl to determine the bases in which,  he knows too well.

"Malfoy,  I believe there is a spell of course. One that prevents you from telling us the location of the place. "

"No. Of course not! I was second in command!"

As expected,  Draco's smirk should widen but it didn't.  His whole demeanor changed. He shot daggers towards Hermione and to everyone in the room.

There was cold silence that filled the room.

"Of course!" Draco shouted.

"How could I be so stupid?" He added,  "Of course you didn't trust me.  Why would you?  I mean you made me attend this meeting to make me think that you trusted me!"

"Calm down,  Draco. " Hermione explained.

"They're still building their trust." She tried to replied back but Draco is already running towards the door.

She had no choice but to run after him.

***

"Draco! " She shouted towards him as she run along.

After hearing his shout,  he stopped walking and turned to face her.

"No one trusts me here,  Granger.  No one. "

"I do. " It was barely a whisper but Draco heard it loud and clear.

"Why do you trust me so much? We were enemies.  We hated each other!  How can you suddenly trust me this much? "

"You need to stop living in the past, Draco! I saw something in you that others don't see that is why others. I know and understand what you feel. "

And in that moment,  he felt as though she could look into him. It's like she could see right through him-past his facade,  past everything.

Did she know?  Did she know that he was a muggleborn too?
She couldn't have.

He doesn't know anything.  And it's what frightens him the most.

***